Combination venetian blind and screen



Aug. l, 1961 s. PINTO 2,994,370

COMBINATION VENETIAN BLND AND SCREEN Filed Jan. 2l, 1960 2 sheets-sheet1 INVENTOR.

SALVATORE PINTO ATTOPNEY Aug. 1, 1961 s. PINTO 2,994,370

COMBINATION VENETIAN BLIND AND SCREEN Filed Jan. 21, 1960 2 sheets-sheet2 JNVENTOR. SALVATORE PINTO A TTOP/VEY 2,994,370 COMBINATION VENETIANBLIND AND SCREEN Salvatore Pinto, 145 Grand St. Extension, Brooklyn,N.Y. Fired Jan. 21, 1960, ser. No. 3,824 6 Claims. (Cl. loll-89) Thisinvention relates to the art of window blinds and more particularlyconcerns a combination Venetian blind and screen.

According to the invention there is provided a blind including aplurality of transparent, flexible, plastic slats in which are removablyinserted decorative filler strips. The slats are supported at one edgeby a flexible mesh or screen and at the other edge by a pair of cords,tapes or chain. The blind is attached at its lower end to a springroller upon which the blind can be rolled. At its upper end the blind issupported on a transversely disposed bar. The roller and bar areadjustably and Slidably supported by brackets on rails so that theposition of the blind between the rails and the lengthwise dimensions ofthe blind can be adjusted. Means are provided for tilting the bar tochange the angular position of the slats.

It is therefore one object of the invention to provide a blind withflexible slats which can be rolled up on a spring roller.

It isl another object to provide a blind with flexible slats in whichdecorative filler strips can be inserted, the slats being supported on aflexible mesh, with a spring roller for rolling up or down the slats andmesh.

A further object is to provide a blind of the character describedadjustably supported at top and bottom on spaced, vertical rails.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects' andadvantages thereof, reference will be had to the following descriptionand accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which thevarious novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the `accompanying drawings forming a material part of thisdisclosure:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational View of a the invention, closed position.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view scale taken on line 2 2 of FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken on theline 3 3 of FIG. 1.

IG. 4 is an enlarged elevational view of one end of the bottom rollerand supporting bracket, parts being shown broken away and parts beingshown in section.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View on an enlarged scaletaken on the line 5 5 of FIG. 1.

FiG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View on an enlarged scaletaken on the line 6 6 of FIG. l.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of a slat and filler strippartially inserted therein.

FIG. 8 is a sectional View on an enlarged scale of the lower portion ofthe blind in fully open condition.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 the blind 1G. Theblind includes a pair of right angle rails l?. and 14. The rails haveupper and lower holes 1S, 16 for securing the rails to a verticalsupport such as a wall of a room. The rails will normally be disposed atthe sides of a window opening. The rails have coplanar, spaced straightflanges 18, 19 and spaced, parallel, forwardly extending flanges 2G, 21.Slidably mounted on the rails are upper slide brackets 22, 24 and lowerslide brackets' 26, 2S. A knob 3G carrying a screw 32 passes through athreaded hole in each bracket for engaging an outer side of one offlanges 20, 21 as blind embodying the blind being shown in substantiallyon an enlarged 2,994,370 Patented Aug. 1, 1961 best shown in FIGS. 1 and4, for holding the bracket securely to the flange in any selectedposition along the rail.

The brackets 22, 24 carry a hollow transversely disposed metal bar 34 onwhich is engaged upper loop 36 of the topmost slat 38 of the blind. Thelower brackets 26, 28 carry a roller 4l) best shown in FIG. 4, theroller which has a spring 42 secured at one end of the body of theroller in a cavity 43. The other end of the spring is engaged on a shaft44 which terminates outside the roller. The outside terminal is reducedin diameter constituting a pin 45 which is rotatably carried by abracket element 46 extending from the end of bracket 26.y

Bracket 2S has a similar element 47 engaging a stud at the other end ofthe roller 4t). If the knobs 30 of brackets 26, 28 are loosened, thenthe roller 40 can be raised to any desired height on the rails asindicated by arrows A in FIG. 1. Bar 34 is inserted in and movable inthe open free opposed ends of brackets 22, 24.

On bar 34, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, is a pulley 48. A rope S0 hasits ends secured in a recess 51 in the pulley. The rope depends as anendless loop from the pulley and permits the pulley and bar to berotated to a limited angular extent for rotationally opening and closingthe slats of the blind.

The blind includes slats 52 as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 7, 8 and 9. Theseslats are formed as pockets' each consisting of two adjacenttransparent, flexible'plastic strips 54, 56 joined at their ends bystiching, staples or other fastening means 58. If desired, these stripscan be heat-sealed together at their opposed edges'. Removably disposedin each pocket is a flat strip 60 of opaque, translucent, or coloredtransparent material. The strips 641 can be paper, cloth, plastic, orother material, preferably suitably decorated with pictures, designs, orother ornamentation 62 as shown in FIG. 7. Flexible cloth or plasticwebs 64 secure one edge of each slat to a cloth or preferably plasticmesh screen 68. The other edges of the slats are secured by staples orstitching 71 to cords or tapes 701. Attached to the upper ends of thesetapes may be beaded chains 72. The chains, as best shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 5, are detachably engaged at their upper ends in slots 73 of flanges77 extending outwardly on clamps 74. Each clamp has' a U-shaped portionengaged on the bar 34 over the loop 36 of the uppermost slat 33. Stiffmetal rods are inserted in loops 61 of strips 54 at the edges of theslats which are secured to the tapes 7G to weight the slats and holdthem straight and parallel.

FIG. 3 shows the slats of the blind in substantially closed position. Bypulling rope 501 the tapes 70 are raised and the slats rotated tosubstantially horizontal open positions as shown in FIG. 8. The tensionin spring roller 46 and the friction of the ends of bar 34 in brackets22, 24 will hold the tapes in raised position and the slats in openposition of the blind. In the open position of the blind, mesh 63 servesas a complete screened closure for the blind. To roll the lower end ofthe blind on roller 40 it is only necessary to loosen knobs 30 at theupper brackets 22, 24.

The blind thus described is a combination Venetian and roller blindwhich can be adjusted in vertical length and vertical position in awindow opening by adjustable positioning of its support brackets. Inaddition, the slats of the blind are rotatable to open and close theblind. The slats are supported upon a flexible mesh which also serves asa screen for the window opening. Removable inserts in the slats permitthe decorative efect, as well as the light transmission characteristicof the blind to be modified at will.

It is to be understood that a single plastic strip of any color ordesign may also be used for the Slat 52.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is t be understood that I do not limit myself to theprecise construction herein disclosed and that the various changes andmodifications may be made within the scope of the invention as definedin the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by United States Letters Patent 1. A window blind comprising, aplurality of parallel at, elongated slats, each slat being formed fromjuxtaposed transparent, iiexible, plastic strips, opposite edges of thestrips being joined to form hat pockets in the slats, a rectangularexible screen, one edge of each slat being joined by a fabric web to thescreen, a plurality of tapes, the other edge of each slat being joinedto the tapes, a bar, an outer one of said slats being looped over thebar, and a spring roller, said screen being engaged on said roller forrolling the tapes, screen and slats upon the roller, said screen beingattached to said outer slat for supporting the slats on the bar, a pairof spaced vertical rails, and brackets slidable on said rails, said barand roller being supported by said brackets for adjusting the verticaldistance between the bar and roller.

2. A window blind comprising, a plurality of parallel ilat, elongatedslats, each slat being formed from juxtaposed transparent, iieXible,plastic strips, opposite edges of the strips being joined to form ilatpockets in the slats, a rectangular iieXible screen, one edge of eachslat being joined by a fabric web to the screen, a plurality of tapes,the other edge of each slat being joined to the tapes, a bar, an outerone of said slats being looped over the bar, a spring roller, saidscreen being engaged on said roller for rolling the tapes, screen andslats upon the roller, said screen being attached to said outer slat forsupporting the slats on the bar, clamps mounted on said bar over theloop of the outer slat, and chains removably attached between said tapesand said clamps.

3. A window blind comprising a pair of spaced vertical rails, bracketsslidably mounted on the rails and securable thereto in iixed positions,a bar rotatably sup ported by a pair of said brackets, a rollerrotatably supported by another pair of the brackets, a plurality ofiiat, parallel, elongated slats, each slat being formed from juxtaposed,transparent, exible plastic strips, opposite edges of the strips beingjoined to form at pockets in the slats, a rectangular iiexible screen,one edge of each slat being joined by a fabric web to the screen, aplurality of tapes, said screen and tapes being supported at one end 4bythe bar, the other edge of each slat being secured to the tapes, theother ends of the screen and tapes being engaged on said roller, saidroller including spring means to hold the tapes and screen under tensionwith the slats in horizontal positions between the rails and to roll theslats, screen and tapes up on the roller, there being a strip adapted tomodify the light transmission characteristic of each slat removablyinserted in the pocket thereof.

4. A window blind comprising a pair of spaced vertical rails, bracketsslidably mounted on the rails and securable thereto in ixed positions, abar rotatably supported by a pair of said brackets, a roller rotatablysupported by another pair of the brackets, a plurality of flat,parallel, elongated slats, each slat being formed from juxtaposed,transparent, exible plastic strips, opposite edges of the strips beingjoined to `form at pockets in the slats, a

rectangular flexible screen, one edge of each slat being joined by afabric web to the screen, a plurality of tapes, said screen and tapesbeing supported at one end by the bar, the other edge of each slat beingsecured to the tapes, the other ends of the screen and tapes beingengaged on said roller, said roller including spring means to hold thetapes and screen under tension with the slats in horizontal positionsbetween the rails and to roll the slats, screen and tapes up on theroller, there being a strip adapted to modify the light transmissioncharacteristic of each slat removably inserted in the pocket thereof, apulley mounted on said bar, and a rope entrained on the pulley yforrotating the bar to open and close the slats.

5. A window blind comprising a pair of spaced vertical rails, bracketsslidably mounted on the rails and securable thereto in fixed positions,a bar rotatably supported by a pair of said brackets, a roller rotatablysupported by another pair of the brackets, a plurality of at, parallel,elongated slats, each slat being formed from juxtaposed, transparent,exible plastic strips, opposite edges of the strips being joined to formfiat pockets in the slats, a rectangular iiexible screen, one edge ofeach slat being joined by a fabric web to the screen, a plurality oftapes, said screen and tapes being supported at one end by the bar, theother edge of each slat being secured to the tapes, the other ends ofthe screen and tapes being engaged on said roller, said roller includingspring means to hold the tapes and screen under tension with the slatsin horizontal positions between the rails and to roll the slats, screenand tapes up on the roller, a pulley mounted on said bar, a ropeentrained on the pulley for rotating the bar to open and close theslats, clamps mounted on said bar, and chains removably attached to saidclamps for supporting the tapes on the bar.

6. A window blind comprising a pair of spaced vertical rails, bracketsslidably mounted on the rails and securable thereto in fixed positions,a bar rotatably supported by a pair of said brackets, a roller rotatablysupported by another pair of the brackets, a plurality of at, parallel,elongated slats, each slat being formed from juxtaposed, transparent,flexible plastic strips, opposite edges of the strips being joined toform at pockets in the slats, a rectangular iiexible screen one edge ofeach slat being joined by a plastic lace or mesh web to the screen, aplurality of tapes, said screen and tapes being supported at one end bythe bar, the other edge of each slat being secured to the tapes, theother ends of the screen and tapes being engaged on said roller, saidroller including spring means to hold the tapes and screen under tensionwith the slats in horizontal positions between the rails and to roll theslats, screen and tapes up on the roller, a pulley mounted on said bar,a rope entrained on the pulley for rotating the bar to open and closethe slats, clamps mounted on said bar, and chains removably attached tosaid clamps for supporting the tapes on the bar, there being adecorative strip removably inserted in the pocket of each slat.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,074,482 Martens Mar. 23, 1937 2,110,145 Loehr Mar. 8, 1938 2,914,122Pinto Nov. 24, 1959

